Thursday, 7 April 2011

Recently I was invited to a press launch of The Chocolate Festival, where I was treated to some talks and tastings to promoted the event which started in Oxford last weekend. Next stop is London when the South Bank plays host to three days of chocolate pleasure. From the 8 – 10 April, the area around The Royal Festival Hall will be lined with stalls filled with some of the finest chocolate and chocolate related products to try and buy.

For true devotees of this glorious substance there will also be live demonstrations and tutored tastings from some of the best Chocolatiers; from William Curley and Bill McCarrick to Damian Allsop and Paul Wayne Gregory.

This a very appropriate time of year for the festival as Easter is only a couple of weeks away, when most people are thinking about chocolate. The Chocolate Festival is the place to visit if you're looking for that special gift or are even thinking of treating yourself.

On the Sunday 10th the event will be hosting The Big Chocolate Tea Party in support of The Sick Children's Trust. They will be joined by Channel 5 Milkshake! Presenters Derek Moran and Jen Pringle and celebrity cupcake maker, Lily Vanilli, is hosting a free children's chocolate workshop and there will be goodies galore.

A Little Bit About Me

I've been an avid collector of recipes over the years – mostly from books and magazines, but also from family and friends too.
I make no claims to being a perfect chef, but the people who eat what I cook, invariably, leave the table happy and satisfied.
Whilst I haven't yet extensively travelled the world, a comfy sofa, the internet and piles of books full of beautiful photographs, have served me well in gaining some knowledge and experience of other countries and their cuisine.

Desserts & Puddings

Miscellaneous

How To

Tasty Tips

MAKE WASHING-UP EASIER: After you've chopped meat or fish or used eggs or flour in your food processor, rinse out with cold water first, before immersing in hot. This stops the remnants from cooking on, making cleaning easier.

GET THE MOST FROM CITRUS ZEST: Grate the zest directly into the bowl, in which you are mixing your ingredients, as this will catch all the oils that burst from the skin, giving maximum flavour.

USE CLING FILM TO ROLL OUT PASTRY: Put one piece on your work surface, dust with flour, place dough on top and dust with flour again. Put another piece of cling film over it and roll away. Stops it from sticking and makes everything so much easier to clear up afterwards.

INVEST IN A SET OF MEASURING SPOONS: A teaspoon is only a teaspoon by name – with correctly sized spoons specifically for the purpose, you'll never get it wrong again.